Renault will warm up the first French Grand Prix in 10 years with a ‘Passion Parade’ at the Formula 1 Fan Festival in Marseille and again at Circuit Paul Ricard. The Passion Parade will feature 17 cars, ranging from 1902 to 2015.
Former Formula 1 driver and winner of the 1982 French Grand Prix René Arnoux and 1981 Rallye Monte Carlo victor Jean Ragnotti are amongst the names to feature in the Parade. The event will take place in Marseille at 19:00 on Friday 22 June and again at Circuit Paul Ricard between 13:30 and 14:00 on Sunday 24 June. The second one will be ahead of the Formula 1 Grand Prix de France 2018.
Arnoux will get behind the wheel of the first Renault Formula 1 car from 1977. That is the Renault R.S.01. Meanwhile, Ragnotti will pilot the 1985 5 Turbo.
The R.S.01, which was first driven by Jean-Pierre Jabouille, is a historic car for Renault and was the first entry for the team in Formula 1 at the 1977 British Grand Prix
The 5 Turbo rally car appeared in 1980. It made an immediate impression on the World Rally Championship scene with Ragnotti adding to his Monte Carlo triumph with victories in France in 1982 and 1985.
Six more rally cars will line-up in the parade. The 4CV 1063 is from 1951, the Renault 8 Gordini 1134 – from 1964. The 17 Group 5 was from 1974, while the 11 Group A and the Renault 5 Alpine Group 2 are both from 1985. The Dauphine from 1958 will be at the parade as well. Renault Sport Academy member Christian Lundgaard will drive it.
The Renault 20 Dakar, winner of the 1982 Dakar Rallye and the A442 B, winner of the 1978 Le Mans 24 Hours, will also feature, while two cars which claimed land speed records, the Nervasport (1934) and the Etoile Filante (1956) are both set to take on the 5.9km circuit.
The Type K will be the oldest car in the parade. It dates back to 1902, and shot to fame with its historic, against the odds victory in the Paris-Vienna 1,300km race.
As well as the 1977 Formula 1 car, the 1983 RE40 is already well accustomed to the Le Castellet circuit
It won the 1983 French Grand Prix under the command of Alain Prost and will take its place in the parade.
The 2012 V8 E20 will undoubtedly be the loudest car on show. The 1975 1.6 litre Formula MK15 will be the fourth and final single-seater in the line-up. Renault Sport Academy Driver Victor Martins will be behind the wheel. Currently, he competes in the Formula Renault Eurocup.
Renault Sport’s R.S.01 from 2015 is the most modern of the 17 cars in the parade and will showcase its 550hp from its 3.8 litres, twin-turbo V6 engine.
Renault will also demo the E20 at the Marseille Fan Festival with Franck Montagny in the cockpit for Friday’s event.
? Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything, better than you! ?@HulkHulkenberg takes on his greatest opponent to date, an expert in #yellow sport cars… And @Prost_official isn’t bad either! #RSspirit #FrenchGP pic.twitter.com/RPPO1z5QDU
— Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) June 22, 2018
